Catalogue-card-assorting device



(No Model.)

W. L. BOYD'EN. CATALOGUE CARD ASSORTING DEVICE. No. 582,035.

Patented May 4, 1897.

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fin I 1 (1/1 14 fittest: awwzw NlTE l FFICEQ \VILLIAM L. BOYDEN, OF \VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ADELAIDE R. I-IASSE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CATALOGUE-CARD-ASSORTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,035, dated May 4, 1897.

Application filed December 16, 1896. Serial Nor 615,874. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. Bovnrnv, a citizen of the United States, residing at ashi11gt0n,'in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oatalogue-Card-Asserting Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a new and useful device for assorting catalogue cards, employed in card-cataloguin g libraries and also for other purposes, the object being to provide a simple, cheap, and effective device for this purpose.

In the cataloguing of libraries cards are now extensively used, which are arranged in alphabetical order or dictionary form and serve the purpose of a printed catalogue, thus saving a large amount of time and expense to the library. The additional advantage derived by the use of cards is that when a new book is added to the library cards can be readily written forsuch new books, and they can then be placed in their proper position in the card-catalogue, thus keeping the cata logue up to date, whereas the printed catalogue is out of date before the printing is completed if the library has added new books after the copy has gone to the printer. However, it is often the case that even if a printed catalogue is made the copy for the printer is written on these cards, and they are then properly arranged and sent to him. \Vhen returned, they are of course soiled, but can be readily used by the librarian as a shelf-list or for any other desired purpose.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the proper and rapid assortment of these cards in their relative position alphabetically and in dictionary form, according to the n1atter written upon their face.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the simplest and preferred form of myimproved catalogue-card-assortin g device or board. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of a modified form of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4

is a top plan view of a catalogue-card with a subject-imprint thereon; Fig. 5 is a similar view with an author-imprint thereon.

Like reference-figures denote corresponding parts in the several views.

In cataloguing or indexingabook two cards at least are employed, one for the author and the other for the subject, catalogues usually containing a subject and an author index.

In the drawings, 6 represents the sorting device or board, provided with the horizontal division-lines or partitious 7 and the perpendicular division-lines or partitions 8. These divisiondines or partitions are preferably of such number as to divide the board into fortytwo oblong spaces or sections, making six spaces across the board and seven down it. These spaces are denominated by the figure 9. The first twenty-four spaces, counting from left to right, are provided with or have marked thereon the letters of the alphabet in capitals, the infrequency with which X, Y, and Z occur rendering it possible to practically use one space for these three letters. The next series of horizontal spaces below the main alphabet, and which is distinguished by the heavy division-line marked 10, is provided, respectively, with the vowels a, e, i, o, u, and the space marked Mistakes. The two remaining spaces below a are marked, respectively, b c and d. The spaces below e are marked f g and 11; those below i, j k l and m 11; those below 0, p qrand s t, those below u, v w and x y 2, while the space below Mistakes is marked Miscellaneous, and the space below Miscellaneous, Stack, all as will be readily seen by reference to Fig. 1.

11 represents a card, Fig. 4, with the subject, &c., imprint thereon, while 12, Fig. 5, represents a card with the author, 850., imprint thereon. Of course as fast as these cards are written in cataloguing the autl1orcardis thrown to one side and the subject card to another, so that it will not be necessary to separate the two later on.

The space provided for the capitalized letters and that for the vowels and consonants, &c., may be distinguished by suitable coloring or by heavy division-lines, as represented by 10 in Fig. 1.

Suppose, now, we have a quantity of subject-cards to assort, say several thousands. These subjects of course include words begin ning with every letter of the alphabet-as, for instance, Alpine Fay, Nuthering Heights, Beauchamp, In His Name, Sylvias Lovers, &c. Alpine Fay will of course be placed on the A space, W'uthering Heights on the \V space, Beauchamp on the B space, In His Name on the 1 space, Sylvias Lovers on the S space, 850. These several thousands of cards will, when assorted by the first letter, fill the entire capitalized spaces, and there will be a large quantity of cards on each space, with the exception, perhaps, of the X Y space. Now it is necessary to further continue this assortment or alphabetizing to the second letter of each first word at least. Therefore we will take, for instance, the pile of cards off the capital-letter space A, the first words of all of which of course commence with the letter A. The second letter of most words is generally a vowel. Now a card having the first word commencing with Ai, as in Airy, would be placed on i, (remembering that we are assorting only the As, therefore Airy will go on the vowel-space i.) Aunt would be placed on u vowel-space. Aetna would be placed on e vowel-space, &c. A word the second letter of which was a consonant, as in Aright, would go on the space p q r. Alight would go on j k 1 space, &c. This assortment continues until all the A words are distributed upon their proper spaces in the second-letter subdivision spaces, or vowel and consonant spaces. e are now ready to stack, (unless we desire to subdivide still'further to the third letter, which we can do by means of the supplemental assorting-board, hereinafter described.) This second subdivision will generally suffice, unless there is an exceedingly large number of cards to assort. What little assortin g is further necessary can be done in the hand very rapidly, as there will only be a few cards to handle. The Aa will be placed face downward on the space marked Stack and designated by the reference-figure 13; the Ae, as in Aetna, on top of that; An, as in Aunt, on top of that, the Al and the Ar following, 850., until the entire A cards are alphabetized properly and placed on the stack-space, thus leaving the vowel and consonant subdivisions free to work out the Bs in the same manner. When the entire board is cleaned off, the cards will be on the stack-space face downward. They can then be reversed by simply lifting the pack off the stack and bringing the face of the cards uppermost. In practice I prefer to start with Z and work upward instead of starting with A and working toward the end of the alphabet. This latter plan leaves the face of the cards upward, so that the last card on the stack can be easily read.

Now suppose we wish to assort the authorcards. It is done in the same manner; but this contingency often arises: There may be twenty, thirty, or more or less subjects by the same author. In this case it is necessary to arrange those subjects alphabetically under said author. If desired, and it is found preferable, as it saves much time, a supplementary board or assorter is provided, as 14, (shown in practical operation in Fig. 2,) which may be a separate board independent of the main board or attached beneath the same in any desirable manner so as to slide under the main board backward and forward to allow it to be exposed or concealed, as desired. It is exactly the same as the vowel and consonant subdivision shown in Fig. 1. Its position when concealed is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, while the means by which it is connected to the main board is shown in the crosssection of Fig. 3, where it is represented as running on the slides or flanges 15, which are held in place by the nuts 16. Ordinarily, however, t-he supplemental board will not be needed, as the simple assorter shown in Fig. 1 will generally answer. I have found it cheaper and more satisfactory to make this supplemental board so that it can be placed conveniently at hand, and, if needed, can be taken up and laid right on top of the cards on the main board and the necessary subindexing done, when it can be again laid aside for further use.

In Fig. 2 is shown a modified form of the assorter, it being provided with partitions 8 instead of the dividin g-lin es, so that the cards may be held within the same. The openings 17 in these partitions are to allow the fingers to reach down to the last card and extract the same easily. This modification can, if desired, be made in the shape of a table with leg attachments, as shown in Fig. 3 at 18. The form shown in Fig. 1, however, is the preferred device. The supplemental assorter shown in Fig. 2 is attached to that modification simply for illustration. It can of course be attached to the board shown in Fig. 1 as well.

The assorting device is designed to be of such size as that the person engaged in the work can place the same on a table or other rest or support and sit down in front of it and be in easy reach of any space on the board.

The advantage of making the supplemental assorter independent of the main board is that it does not necessitate the worker moving backward when it becomes necessary to use it, as would be the case if it were made to slide outward from beneath the board, but it can be near at hand and placed on top of the work and then removed when done with. The

space marked Mistakes is for any such that may be found during the process of assorting-such, for instance, as an author-card appearing when the subject-cards are being distributed. Similarly the space marked Miscellaneous is designed for any other conti11- gency that may arise, but it is evident that the spaces marked Mistakes, Miscellaneous, and Stack may be dispensed with, if desired, and that the arrangement of the spaces and lettering may be changed to suit the exigencies of any case that may arise. I have simply illustrated in the drawings a preferred mode of constructing the assorter.

The material out of which the device may be made is preferably heavy cardboard or a thin thickness of wood, but obviously any other material may be substituted.

The many uses to which this assorter can be put will be evident. Not only is it highly useful for its primary purpose, but it may be employed with advantage in the compilation of directories, for banks, insurance companies, and in fact in any case Where alphabetical indexing of cards or slips is desired, it being of course modified to embrace these varied uses.

The advantages of my improved cataloguecard assorter will be readily apparent to those familiar with the present cumbersome and time-consuming method. At present a great deal of the subindexing is done in the hand, the cataloguer holding a quantity therein and thus arranging them alphabetically. This requires a great deal-of time and close attention, and if one is disturbed while thus employed it breaks up the Whole continuity of thought, While by my arrangement, no matter what distractions occur, the cards will be in their proper space on the board.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A catalogue-card-assorting device, comprising a suitable board or other surface, pro vided with a series of spaces representing and having marked thereon the letters of the alphabet, a supplemental series of spaces below this series, representing and having marked thereon the vowels of the alphabet, and below these latter spaces, oneor more series of spaces representing and having marked thereon the consonants of the alphabet, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A catalogue-card-assorting device, comprising a suitable board or other surface provided with a series of spaces representing the letters of the alphabet, a supplemental series of spaces below this series representing the vowels of the alphabet and below these latter spaces, one or more series of spaces representing the consonants of the alphabet, together with spaces for contingent purposes, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A catalogue-card-assorting device, comprising a suitable base or bottom on which are built suitable partitions forming spaces for the main alphabet, suitable partitions forming spaces representing the vowels of the alphabet and suitable partitions forming spaces representing the consonants of the alphabet, together with partitions forming spaces for contingent purposes, the horizontal partitions being cut away at proper points to permit the free movement of the fingers in extracting the cards substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. A catalogue-card-assorting device, comprising a suitable base or bottom, on which are built suitable partitions forming spaces for the main alphabet, suitable partitions forming spaces representing thevowels of the alphabet, and suitable partitions forming spaces representing the consonants of the alphabet, together with partitions forming spaces for contingent purposes, and a supplemental vowel-and-consonant-marked board, sliding back and forth beneath said partitions, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. A catalogue-card-assorting device, consisting of a suitable base or bottom, ruled or partitioned to provide spaces representing the entire alphabet, below these a horizontal line of spaces representing the vowels of the alphabet, and beneath these one or more series of spaces representing the consonants of the alphabet, saidconsonant-spaces being so arranged as to be intermediate (when alphabetizing) between the vowel spaces, thus forming a series of spaces representing a complete supplemental alphabet, arranged substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM L. BOYDEN.

\Vitnesses:

PAMELA A. WEBBER, FREDERICK WEBBER. 

